Introducing the #YesWeCode Fund

Please note: As of July 20, 2017, The Iron Yard is no longer accepting applications. The Iron Yard is a technology education company that offers software development courses both in person and through corporate training programs across the U.S. Their passionate team strives to create real, lasting change for people, companies and communities by equipping a diverse workforce with 21st century digital skills. Since it was launched in 2013, The Iron Yard has prepared thousands of students for...
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2017/03/21

Just last week at SXSW, The Iron Yard joined leaders from DreamCorps, #YesWeCode, TechHire and TechSquare Labs to announce that applications for the newly renamed #YesWeCode Fund are now open.

This is a huge goal and The Iron Yard is a proud founding partner of the Fund. The Iron Yard’s CEO, Peter Barth said it best: “Creating an inclusive tech workforce can only be achieved if all stakeholders in the tech sector are represented in the solution. By uniting the efforts of employers, educators, government and civic organizations in the Fund, we can both inspire people who are currently underrepresented in the industry to choose tech as a career and empower them to pursue that goal through a full-tuition scholarship to attend a code school.”

Today, we sat down with Sam Kapila, Director of Instruction at The Iron Yard, to talk more about the #YesWeCode Fund and The Iron Yard’s diversity initiatives. Sam was also a participant in the panel at SXSW, where the Fund was launched.

Why is diversity and inclusion important for the tech industry

Sam: Tech impacts just about every facet of our life - from how we communicate, travel and work, to how we learn and socialize. It only makes sense that the creators of technology, reflect the users of technology. Not to mention, study after study has shown that diversity is good for business.

I know we can do better. In order to make a true impact, this issue has to be addressed at all levels - from education and training to hiring practices. That’s where the #YesWeCode Fund comes in.

Why was it so important for The Iron Yard to help launch this Fund?

Sam: We take diversity and inclusion seriously at The Iron Yard. As an organization that exists to create change through technology education, we have a responsibility to take action to ensure the workforce we help train is inclusive and representative of the diverse communities we serve. Empowering people of all backgrounds and means with the opportunity to learn to code, and subsequently pursue a career in tech, is an important step in the right direction for creating a more inclusive workforce.

As a company, we recognized that we were in a position to help make this happen, so it was really important for us to lead the way and organize other schools and organizations, so that we can make strides toward this goal together..

Who is this Fund intended to support?

Sam: The Fund is intended to support groups that are commonly discriminated against in tech: people of color and people who identify as female. Access to tech can be expensive, so we want to make the Fund’s scholarships available to those with financial need and lower their barrier of entry into the development field.

How can other code schools or employers get involved?

Sam: We’d love to work with more schools, civic organizations, and employers across the country to increase the number of students we can serve and support through their journey to become developers. Anyone who is interested in participating can contact us at info@yeswecodefund.com to learn more about partnerships.

Ready to apply for a #YesWeCode Fund scholarship? To receive a scholarship, applicants will need to first be accepted into a participating code school through that program’s standard admissions process. Students will then receive a link to apply for the scholarship from the participating program. Visit the #YesWeCode Fund website for more information: http://www.yeswecodefund.com/scholarship-process/ or reach out to info@yeswecodefund.com with questions.

I attended the Ruby on Rails course in Charleston and it was absolutely the best thing I've ever done! I learned so much in the 12 week program and graduated with a solid foundation in programming, the instructors truly give 110% everyday. This industry is constantly changing and their pledge to teach you to think like a developer was definitely fulfilled- I started a new career 3 weeks after ...